This invention pertains generally to headware and particularly to a cap for temporary wear by women while they are recovering from a partial or total hair loss.
A side effect of chemotherapy is often a substantial or total loss of hair, a condition which may persist for several weeks or months during the treatment and afterward while new hair is growing. Another side effect is that the scalp is extremely tender and overly sensitive to wigs and conventional hairpieces which may be hot, scratchy or cumbersome and require considerable care and attention which would be objectionable to a patient undergoing or recovering from therapy. Further, it is not practical for a woman with hair loss to don a wig just to meet someone at the door or to run out for a quick shopping trip.
Conventional bandanas, scarves, turbans, babushkas and terry cloth head covers have been tried but they are often not very attractive and require constant attention to keep them from slipping over the ears or down the forehead. Further, they tend to conform to the scalp contour and so lack the full appearance which they would have if worn over a full head of hair.
Prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,546 which shows a scarf or babushka with plural hair pieces attached to the underside and overlying the wearer's natural head of hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,396 discloses wigs and hats combined in different ways.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,310 has a decorative headband with bangs-type hair pieces attached to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,242 discloses a triangular scarf with a bangs-type hair piece extending below the forward edge. It is assembled by tying opposite corners together. It requires stitching along the edges of a rear triangular tab to cover the back of the head. It must be tied and untied with each use and does not provide the kind of fullness giving the appearance of an underlying full head of hair.